Harnessing opportunities for good governance of health impacts of mining projects in Mongolia: results of a global partnership

This partnership included researchers and policymakers from the Ministry of Health and Sport of Mongolia (MOH), the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism (MOE), the Ministry of Mining, Simon Fraser University (Canada), the University of Waterloo (Canada), Queens University (Canada), the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR), and local Mongolian public health NGOs, with technical support from WHO and funding support from Canada.

The names of Mongolia Ministries changed over the time period discussed here. For ease of exposition and to avoid confusion we refer simply to the Ministry of Health (which became at one point the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and more recently is named the Ministry of Health and Sport), and to the Ministry of Environment (which later became the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism).

Oyu Tolgoi (“turquoise hill”) is a major copper mine in the southern Gobi desert region. It is operated as a joint venture between Turquoise Hill Resources (a subsidiary of the global mining company Rio Tinto) and the Government of Mongolia. The mine began operation in 2010. The Health Impact Assessment was conducted as part of the mine’s commitment to International Finance Corporation performance standards, in particular to ensure “Community Health, Safety, and Security.” Energy Resources, LLC is a Mongolia owned and operated coal mining company that operates the Ukhaa Khudag mine in the Tavan Tolgoi (“five hills”) region of the southern Gobi desert. It is approximately 120 km to the north of Oyu Tolgoi. Operations began in 2009. Energy Resources conducted environmental, social, and economic impact assessments as required by The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and maintains an active community-engagement program.

In this case, the company was following International Finance Corporation (IFC) performance standards. These standards, while voluntary, have been adopted by most major multinational financial institutions (e.g., “Equator Principles” banks). Projects requiring financing capital are typically required to meet these standards, which often require completion of a suite of impact assessments, including health impact assessments, as well as to establish avenues for community participation and grievance resolution [9].

The Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research has given considerable attention to developing principles for ethical partnerships. With funding from the International Development Research Centre of Canada, and conducted in partnership with several international organizations, it has developed a useful partnership assessment tool (PAT). The PAT is freely available and accessible on the CCGHR website: http://​www.​ccghr.​ca/​resources/​partnerships-and-networking/​partnership-assessment-tool/​